Tag Archives: hvac systems

If you’re concerned about the high cost of heating and cooling your home, you’re probably looking for effective ways to lower your yearly household energy consumption. Getting all of your home’s various systems into sync goes a long way toward improving efficiency and saving energy. Taking the following measures makes syncing HVAC systems easier and can bring you the greatest boost in overall efficiency:

Maintain HVAC Equipment

Keeping your HVAC equipment clean and tuned up, and catching/fixing developing issues early all play a part in maximizing its efficiency, so be sure to schedule twice-yearly preventive maintenance visits.

Stop Air Leaks

While you need controlled air exchange for good indoor air quality, sealing uncontrolled air leaks in your home’s exterior envelope is vital to limit energy losses. To curb such losses, seal gaps and cracks around windows and doors, along the foundation and around penetrations for pipes, vents and wiring using caulk, weatherstripping and expandable spray foam.

Attend to the Ductwork

Uninsulated, leaky ducts can cost you 20 percent or more in lost HVAC equipment output. To limit this loss of efficiency, correct any duct defects like damaged or disconnected sections, then seal the joints/seams with metal-backed tape and install an R-6 insulation wrap on all accessible ducting.

Air Seal and Insulate the Attic

Air leakage and insufficient attic insulation can let conditioned air escape and allow heat transfer between the attic and your living space. You can curtail this energy drain by sealing leaks around HVAC, electrical and plumbing lines, the chimney and access hatch, and the attic perimeter. Then, increase the amount of insulation between your attic floor joists so you have a total of R-38 to R-60.

Replace Drafty Windows

Updating your older windows can eliminate drafts and limit heat gains and losses through the glass. In our climate zone, the most efficient windows are Energy Star-certified and have a U-factor of 0.25 or less, a solar heat gain co-efficient (SHGC) between 0.35—0.60, and an air leakage (AL) rating below 30.

It’s normal for electricity costs to skyrocket in the summer as you pay to air condition your home. However, before you assume you’re stuck paying appalling cooling bills all summer long, consider these five ways you can reduce the need for air conditioning in your Oregon home. Continue reading →

If you are enjoying the cooling comfort of your air conditioning when it suddenly stops working, the first thing to do is turn it off. Then check to see if ice is coating the coils. If so, you need to do some trouble-shooting to determine what causes the A/C to freeze up. First, locate the drainage hole and make sure it is clear. Water should be running out of the drainpipe. If it is not, the condensation is going somewhere, and most likely doing some damage when it gets there. It may be draining back into the unit and causing a freeze-up. Continue reading →

Your air conditioner is on the fritz and refuses to cool your home the way it’s supposed to. You hire a technician to conduct a repair. He quotes a price that’s a little higher than you wanted to pay. Now, you must make a decision: do you pay the repair bill or throw in the towel and replace the A/C? Continue reading →

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that carbon monoxide poisoning is the number one cause of inadvertent poisoning in the United States. Since carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, detectors are necessary to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from happening in your home. However, it is important that you know where to place carbon monoxide detectors for them to be the most effective. Below are some tips for where and where not to place them. Continue reading →

The economy may be improving, but most of us still do not have money to burn. As we look for ways to save money, one area that catches our attention is our electric bill. You have heard that it is the little things that count. When it comes to electricity, they add up. Here are a few little things to do to help you save electricity and money: Continue reading →

Summertime in Portland is paradise, but high energy bills during the cooling season can take some of the joy out of warm, sunny weather. This year, resolve to keep your home cool without cranking the thermostat. Here are a some low-cost and no-cost ways to stay cooler at higher thermostat settings all season long. Continue reading →

Who doesn’t love to go on a well-deserved vacation, especially when summer arrives? What you might not realize is that vacations and energy savings can easily go hand-in-hand, as long as you know what to look for. Here are some of our favorite ways to save energy while you’re out of town during this heating season: Continue reading →

As a homeowner, the systems and appliances you choose for your home affect comfort and the pocketbook. The system that has the greatest impact on comfort and the energy budget is the HVAC system. If your energy bills are consistently higher than you would like, and the comfort level in your home is less than optimal, take charge of both with a programmable thermostat. Continue reading →

From handling your hot showers to providing water to appliances like washing machines and dishwashers, hot water heaters perform a vital role in your home comfort and convenience. But many homeowners don’t think too much about the specific features of their heaters, so long as the hot water keeps flowing. If you plan to purchase a water heater in the near future, make sure you’re getting the best model for your household by considering these tips: Continue reading →